~ What can this cop possibly say that can justify shooting a NAKED student?! I don’t care HOW erratic he was acting. Come on NOW!

Police said at around 1:30 a.m., a ‘muscular, nude man,’ was shot dead on the University of South Alabama campus.

Outcry is growing over the fatal shooting of a naked University of Alabama student by a campus police officer early on Saturday morning. Gil Collar, 18, reportedly knocked on the window of the campus police station and charged at an officer who came out to investigate. The officer shot him dead.

It has also emerged that the shooting was caught on video.

Friend Colgan Meanor says Mr Collar of Wetumpka was an outgoing athlete who loved wrestling in high school. She says she’s shocked over his killing by an officer outside the university police department early Saturday.

~ Steroids? Still no excuse! WHAT was he armed with? His mouth?! His hands?!

Another friend of Collar, Tyler Kendrick, says the officer shouldn’t have drawn his weapon on an unarmed person.

School officials say the student ignored repeated commands to stop. The school says Collar was nude and acting erratically when he confronted the officer.

The officer is on paid leave, and an autopsy will determine if drugs or alcohol were involved.

‘I remember the first time he walked into the wrestling room,’ said Jeff Glass.

‘He was such a natural. He was the only wrestler I coached who wrestled varsity for six years. That takes more heart than I can tell you. We began our tenure in Wetumpka wrestling at the same time. He was a physical, spiritual and mental warrior. And I love him like my own.’

2 Responses to “Outcry: UAB campus police shot ‘naked’ freshman”

This “incident” (a word which is too light in this case .. I’ll change it to, “atrocity”) shocks and sickens me. I wrestled in high school… I know what kind of spirit and character that takes. My heart goes out to Gil Collar’s family. Even without knowing the facts behind the shooting … unless Gil approached this security officer with an Uzi and grenades while naked… to shoot this young man. None. Nada.
If there’s a God in Heaven, there’ll end up being a “Naked Gil” day, once a year at U.S.A.—forever— , just to put this “incident” in their faces … and, of course, so that Gil will not be forgotten.

It is unthinkable that a 5’7″ 135-lb guy, nude , who is acting in a threatening officer would reach the high standard set as to when an officer may use deadly force. The officer must have reasonable fear of great bodily injury or death, not fear of engaging an unarmed person in a hand-to-hand struggle.

Whether someone charges at him once or numerous times, the officer should be first in very good physical shape, meaning strength and stamina, and second, well-trained enough in weaponless tactics to restrain the suspect. Of course, they may need back-up to fully restrain and search a combative person, but it really makes me wonder about the mental and physical state of the officer. It looks like unjustifiable fear rather than anything else. I could see where the officer might think he was dealing with a bath salts case, which would raise the fear level some; he might fear that he would be disarmed. But he had another option until back-up arrived, one most officers would not want to imagine – backing off into the station. No matter how that might damage his ego for a while, this is a horrible and miserable outcome any way you look at it. This calls for a professional, neutral , transparent and immediate investigation. This is one case for the media and community to scrutinize until its conclusion.